Pipe union for air compressors



Dec. 14, 194s.- R. E. LAMBER'II'ON Q 2,456,200

YIPE UNION FOR AIR' COMPRESSORS Filed May 5, 1944 l'la z nzerlb v Patented Dec. 14, 1948 Ralph E- Lamberton, Worthington,

signor to The JaegerMachine Company,

Ohio, as- Columbus, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 5, 1944, Serial No. 534,209

This invention relates generally to improvements in air compressors, andhas particular ref- 'erence to' air compressors of the portable type 'having a wheeled base upon which is grouped compactly air-compressor apparatus embodying, broadly, an-engine-driven air compressor of the 'highand low stage type, an intercooler for modifying the temperature of the air passing between the air compressor stages, and a tank or receiver for the reception of air discharged from the highpressure side of the compressor.

- In such apparatus, as ordinarily constructed, the compressed air-receiving tank is located in spaced-relation from the air compressor proper, the same being separated by the operative location of the intercooler. This usual arrangement has necessitated the employment of an extended conduit leading'from the air outlet of the highpressure side of the compressor, the said conduit being composed of several parts which extend around theintercooler at one side of the portable 'baseof the apparatus and entering the upper portion ofthe air-receiving tank or holderr Such a-conduit, because of its considerable length, involves interfitting parts which are likely to become loosened in service and cause air loss and, furthermore'are difficult and costly to install.

Therefore, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a simple, efficient, and readily installed air-transferring conduit construction between the high pressure outlet of such a com,- pre'ssorand air-receiver or holder, said conduit comprising a straight pipe member of relatively short length which extends directly through an opening providedin. the shell of the intercooler, one end of the pipe member being received within a packing gland provided in one unit of said apparatus, and the other end thereof having a threaded mounting provided in a second unit, the arrangement being such as to complete the conduit when the several units of the apparatus are in assembled and operative order.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein;

Fig. 1 is a top plan view, partly in horizontal section, of the improved pipe connection forming the present invention and employed in uniting the outlet of an air compressor with an airreceiver or holder;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus, with the shell of the intercooler bein shown in vertical section;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modified type of an air transmitting connec- 2 Claims. (Cl. 230132) cooler for dissipating tion between the high pressure outlet of an air compressor and an associated air-receiver.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a conventional multi-stage air compressor having a pair of cylinders. In the first of these cylinders, known as the low-stage cylinder, air is compressed, as is customary, to an initial stage of pressure and, while under such initial pressure, is discharged from the first cylinder and passed through a conventional heat exchanger or inter-cooler, the latter functioning in the usual manner to extract heat from the compressed air while such air is in its initial stage of compression. Following passage through the inter-cooler, the air is then introduced into the second cylinder of the compressor, which is known in the art as the high-stage cylinder, where it is further compressed to attain its final high-pressure state, and upon being discharged from the high-stage or second cylinder of the compressor, the highly compressed air is then transmitted to a holder or tank having air-storage capacity. While such apparatus is generally old and well understood in the art, the present invention is used in conjunction therewith for the purpose of providing a new and improved pipe connection for conducting compressed air from the second or high-stage cylinder of the compressor to the air-storage tank.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates, in its entirety, such a multiple-stage air compressor. The interheat from the compressed air, as it passes from the first or low-pressure stage of the compressor to the second or highpressure stagepis designated by the numeral 6, and the air-storage tank or holder is indicated by the numeral 1. At 8, there has been disclosed the compressed air outlet head of the high stage cylinder of the compressor. Detachably bolted, as at 9, to the outlet end of the head 8 is a gland housing In, the latter having longitudinally and axially formed therein a passage H adapted for the reception of a compressible packing l2, the packing being maintained under compression by a gland l3, the outer flanged end M of the gland being provided with openings for the reception of threaded studs I5 which project rigidly from the housing NJ, the outer ends of said studs being equipped with tightening nuts l6 for maintaining the inner end of the gland in compressive engagement with the packing I2.

Adapted to be received within the packing gland formed by the housing Ill and the gland I3 is one end of a pipe member H, the latter being straight and of comparatively short length, the intermediate portion thereof passing through an opening l8 provided in the top tank shell IQ of the intercooler 6. The outer end of the pipe member is threaded as at 20 for the reception of an internally threaded socket provided in the upper and outer end of a curved air-conducting casting or fitting 2|, the lower and horizontally disposed base end of said casting or fitting being secured as at 22 to a pad 23 formed on the upper surface of the air-receiver or holder 1.

In assembling these parts in operative order, the air-receiver is first secured to the vehicle frame. The threaded end of the pipe H is then inserted in the threaded end 20 of the fitting 21. With the gland I4 in a loosened condition, the end of the pipe I! is passed through the opening l8 in the intercooler shell l9, and through the gland [3 into the stuiilng box end of the housin or boxing 10. The receiver end of the fitting 2i is then bolted or otherwise secured to the pads surrounding the air inlet of the receiver I. The nuts 1-6 are next tightened to com-press the packing material I 2 around the outer surfaces of the pipe member H, producing a fluid-tight expansion .j oint.

It will be evident that these operations are "simple and easy to execute and the extended and devious conduits of the prior art are avoided. Due to its short simple construction, my improved air conduit does not tend, in practice, to become loosened, so that the possibility of air loss therethrough is accordingly minimized.

It is obvious that the construction is susceptible to certain variations. An alternative but less preferred .form is disclosed in Fig. 3, wherein the pipe member Ha. is threaded into the high pressure outlet Ba-of the compressor. The opposite end of the pipemember Ila is received in a gland 13a which is carried by the intercooler shell [9 in association with a. compressible packing I2. The gland 13a may be advanced to compress the packing by the use of the studs and nuts [6. The outer end of the pipe member terminates in the opening I8 in the intercooler shell, and the opposite end of this opening communicates directly with the inlet end of the air-conducting fitting 24. The pipe disclosed at .23 is the customary manifold for transmitting air under pressure from the intercooler to the air inlet valve of the high pressure stage of the compressor.

In both these forms, the short straight .airtransferring conduitextends transversely through the top tank shell of the .intercooler, providin simplicity in design, ease and convenience in as- :sembly and installation and freedom from air leaks or losses.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In air-compressing apparatus, an engine driven air compressor having low and high pressure stages of air compression, a heat-dissipating radiator through which air discharged from the low pressure stage of said compressor is passed before entering said high pressure stage, said radiator being formed with an outer shell having a transversely extending opening formed therein which is removed from and independent of the paths of air traveling through said radiator from the low to the high pressure stages of said compressor, a compressed air receiver arranged on the opposite side of said radiator as regards said air compressor, and conduit means for transmitting compressed air from the outlet of the high pressure stage of said compressor to said receiver, said conduit means being positioned in the transverse opening of said radiator.

2. In air-compressing apparatus, an air compressor having low and high pressure stages, an outlet for the discharge of air compressed in the high pressure stage of said compressor, .an intercooler through which air is passed while traveling from one stage of said compressor to another, said inter-cooler being formed with an outer shell having a transversely extending opening formed therein which is removed from and independent of the paths of air flow traveling through said inter-cooler between the stages of said compressor, a compressed air-receiver arranged on the opposite side of said inter-cooler asregards said air compressor, and conduit means positioned in the opening of said inter-cooler shell, said conduit means being connected at one end with the compressed air outlet of the high pressure stage of said compressor and at its other end with said compressed air--receiver, and a -c0mpressible packing surrounding said conduit means to preclude escape of compressed air therefrom when said conduit means is subject to limited longitudinal movement relative to said intercooler shell.

RALPH E. LAMBERTON.

REFERENCES CIT-ED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 792,790 Prellwitz June 20, 1905 921,803 Conrader May 18., 19% 1,503,540 Lawhead Aug.- 5, 19.24 1,707,307 Holdsworth Apr. '2, .1929 1,812,590 Grace June '30., 193.1 1,882,266 Wainwright 0012.11, 1932 

